Fourth Graders Visit Wolf Conservation Center

4/6/2018

Fourth graders visited the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, NY as part of their study of ecology in science class. They observed four ambassador wolves and learned about wolf behavior.

In class, the children have been studying the interconnectedness of living and non-living things and how food chains and food webs affect a working ecosystem. They took a deep dive into the role of wolves in nature to understand how each part of a system affects the whole. They began by learning about the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park. Their extinction in the area caused the overpopulation of elk, which then caused the dramatic decrease of birds and other animals in the area. “Their study of Yellowstone helped to give them context for when they visited the local conservation center,” said Science Teacher Chantal Detlefs.

The fourth graders took a keen interest in wolf behavior. “They got hooked to the drama of wolves, of the power dynamics and hierarchy of the pack,” said Ms. Detlefs. “They asked so many good questions and were mesmerized by the topic.”